EXCLUSIVE: Inside the leadership tussle tiering NYCN apart
YOUTHS DIGEST – For many weeks now, the National Youth Council of Nigeria has been thrown into serious leadership fracas.
The fracas was heightened after the factional President of the body was asked to step aside.
It would be recalled that the Ministry of Youths and Sports, before the emergence of Sunday Dare as the Minister Of Youths, had asked that Status quo be maintained in the Council.
This was to avoid a breakdown of law and order in the country.
The leadership crisis has seen the emergence of three factional leaders for the Council, with a fourth being painted as the authentic President of NYCN.
Recently, Bello Shagari, while congratulating the new Minister of Youths and Sports, Sunday Dare, pleaded that the union be saved from political interference.
Findings by Youths Digest showed that the crisis may not be unconnected with a vote of no confidence allegedly passed on Bello Shagari, by members of the National Executive Council.
This newspaper reliably learnt that a letter had emanated from the office of the Board of Trustee Chairman, to the President asking that Bello Shagari and two others be asked to step aside while the letter introduced another person as the President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria.
The letter alleged that Bello Shagari belonged to the opposition party, thus does not deserve to lead the National Youth Council of Nigeria.
The letter also stated that at some point, he was already asked to step aside by the National Executive Council of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, thereby making the Bello-led administration illegal.
The letter sent to the President was signed by Ambassador Dickson Akoh.
The letter with the heading NYCN/HQRT/BOT/08/001 was sent to the President on 8th August 2019.
The letter declared one Sukubo Sukubo and John Nihi as illegal Presidents of the NYCN alongside Bello Shagari.
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While Mr Sokubo was alleged to have declared himself as the President of the NYCN, the offence of Nihi laid in his alleged affiliation to the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP).
The letter stated that John Nihi was appointed by Ugo Chinyere of CUPP.
He was accused to have worked against the re-election bid of the President and also was at fault for criticizing the appointment of certain Ministers by President Buhari, hence the need for him to be taken out as a President albeit in factional position.
The letter introduced one Asuku Abdullahi as the new President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria.
NYCN A Political Body?
Although the National Youth Council of Nigeria is under the supervision of the Ministry of Youths and Sports, the body is meant to serve as the umbrella body of the youths in the country as a whole.
Like every other Youth group, the National Youth Council of Nigeria is meant to be apolitical and seen as one that covers interest of diverse Youth Groups In the country.
Shagari remains the President–S/East NYCN Organizing Secretary
The South-East organising Secretary of the National Youth Council of Nigeria has however countered the move, stating that the refusal of the embattled Shagari to endorse President Buhari during elections led to the plot to remove him .
“We all stated that the NYCN is apolitical, we affirmed hugely that we cannot endorse a person and that made the former Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung, to decide to endorse someone else as the President”.
He stated that there are procedures to removing the President of the Council and the National Executive Council cannot remove the President who was elected.
“There are procedures to removing the President, you cannot just wake up and decide that he should go because he failed to do your bidding, he remains the President,” he noted.
Another Exco who sought anonymity however stated that Mr. Bello was asked to step aside already but did not give a reason for the action.
